1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a flexible material with roll mechanism and, more particularly, to flexible material that self-rolls.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional flexible material such as mats are well known and have been in use for a number of years. In general, mats are used as a cushion and may comprise of material with thickness and flexibility that provides a protective, softened padding between a user body and the ground.
Due to their soft, flexible composition and thickness, regrettably, most mats suffer from obvious disadvantages in that they easily bent out of their normal shape during use, loosing their proper stance (whether in rolled-up, or bundled position or rolled-out, open position). For example, when a conventional mat is rolled-out from its closed position, instead of having a proper flat stance, its ends may continue to remain curled (in a rolled-up position) or its body may remain curved (rather than remain flat on the ground). In general, most users place heavy objects on top of the mat or the curled ends of the mat to flatten the mat for proper use.
Another disadvantage with conventional mats is that rolling-up the mat requires a great deal of effort, especially for large size mats that are used in camping. That is, when rolling-up a mat of any size to a closed or bundled position, the user must first align the lateral edges of every roll within the same plane so that the bundled mat is not rolled skewed or slanted (into a telescoping “cone” shape). Simultaneously, the user must also apply constant pressure on the rolling body portion of the mat so that the rolling mat is rolled in a tight or compact bundle for storage without unwinding. This is especially difficult for thicker mats and if not done properly, the rolled mat may laterally “telescope” out. Accordingly, rolling-up a mat into a bundle is very inconvenient if the user is fatigued due to exercise (e.g., if the mat is a yoga mat) or camping (e.g., if the mat is used as a cushion under a sleeping bag).
Assuming that the mat is rolled-up properly, the users must then take the next, time consuming, inconvenient, but necessary step of applying a strap around the rolled-up mat to keep the mat bundled up, otherwise, the mat would tend to unroll due to its flexible composition. This is especially true for larger size mats used for camping. It should be noted that some mats are not sold with a strap and hence, users must either purchase a strap or simply roll-up the mat tightly and store fit it in a tight space, hoping that the mat does not unroll. Upon properly bundling the mat (with or without a strap), if the mat is stored up-right on its rolled edges, resting at a slight angle against some vertical support, the exposed corner ends of the mat that carry its weight will bend and remain bent while stored, with the mat loosing its proper stance.
Accordingly, in light of the current state of the art and the drawbacks to current mats mentioned above, a need exists for a flexible material that would easily roll into a properly tight, rolled-up bundle and maintain its properly rolled posture without much effort or the requirement of a strap, and that would easily unroll into a fully flat open position without much effort or without loss in proper stance. Further, a need exists for a flexible material that would protect its corner ends from bending.